AS 4840—2001

AS 4840

Australian Standard™
This is a free 5 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

Low pressure regulators for use in

industrial compressed gas reticulation
systems
 This Australian Standard was prepared by Committee ME-002, Gas Cylinders. It
was approved on behalf of the Council of Standards Australia on 29 September
2000 and published on 31 January 2001.

The following interests are represented on Committee ME-002:

A.C.T. WorkCover
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Wholesalers Association
Australasian Institute of Engineer Surveyors
Australian Association of Certification Bodies
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Australian Gas Association
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Australian Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association

Boiler and Pressure Vessel Manufacturers Association of Australia
Bureau of Steel Manufacturers of Australia
Department for Administration and Information Services, S.A.
Department of Defence (Australia)
Department of Employment Training and Industrial Relations, Qld
Department of Mines and Energy, Qld
FPA Australia
Institute of Materials Engineering Australasia Limited
Institution of Engineers, Australia
Victorian WorkCover Authority
Welding Technology Institute of Australia
WorkCover New South Wales

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NSW 2001.

This Standard was issued in draft form for comment as DR 99521.

 AS 4840—2001

Australian Standard™
This is a free 5 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

Low pressure regulators for use in

industrial compressed gas reticulation
systems

First published as AS 4840—2001.

COPYRIGHT
© Standards Australia International
All rights are reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without the written permission of the
publisher.
Published by Standards Australia International Ltd
GPO Box 5420, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia
ISBN 0 7337 3642 4
 AS 4840—2001 2

PREFACE
This Standard was prepared by the Joint Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand Committee
ME/2, Gas Cylinders to standardize the requirements of low pressure regulators for use with
industrial gas reticulation systems that are operating at pressures up to 2100 kPa.
This Standard is the result of a consensus among representatives on the Joint Committee to
produce it as an Australian Standard.
This Standard intends to eliminate the dangers of cross connection that may occur when
high and low pressure regulators are used. AS 4267, Pressure regulators for use with
industrial compressed gas cylinders caters for high pressure regulators, however, there is
the danger that, because low pressure inlet connection sizes have not been covered by this
Standard, these low pressure regulators may be inadvertently put into a high pressure
reticulation system. This Standard, by specifying low pressure inlet connection details, will
This is a free 5 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

eliminate this problem for the compressed gas industry.

The term ‘normative’ has been used in this Standard to define the application of the
appendix to which it applies. A ‘normative’ appendix is an integral part of a Standard.
Acknowledgment is given to the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) of the United States
of America in using their details in Figures 1 and 2 from the CGA E-1 series of
connections.

CONTENTS

Page
1 SCOPE ................................................................................................................................ 3
2 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS .......................................................................................... 3
3 DEFINITIONS .................................................................................................................... 3
4 GENERAL DESIGN REQUIREMENTS............................................................................ 4
5 SPECIFIC DESIGN REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................. 5
6 CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................... 5
7 PERFORMANCE ............................................................................................................. 10
8 MARKING........................................................................................................................ 10

APPENDICES
A OXYGEN SELF-IGNITION TEMPERATURE ........................................................ 12
B TEST FOR COMPATIBILITY OF MATERIALS WITH PROPANE ....................... 14
C HYDROSTATIC-TYPE TEST ON THE INLET SIDE OF REGULATOR............... 16
D GAS PRESSURE RETENTION-TYPE TEST ON THE OUTLET SIDE OF
REGULATOR ........................................................................................................... 17
E GASTIGHTNESS TEST............................................................................................ 18
F PERFORMANCE TESTS.......................................................................................... 19
 3 AS 4840—2001

STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

Australian Standard
Low pressure regulators for use in industrial compressed gas
reticulation systems

1 SCOPE
This Standard specifies the requirements of low pressure regulators for use with industrial
gas pipelines up to 2100 kPa. Pressure regulators for use with medical gas pipelines,
together with fixed delivery pressure LPG regulators for domestic and recreational purposes
are not covered by this Standard. Recommendations for regulators for use in beverage
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dispensing pipelines have been included for users in that industry.

2 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS
The following documents are referred to in this Standard:
AS
1349 Bourdon tube pressure and vacuum gauges
2473 Valves for compressed gas cylinders (threaded outlet)
2700 Colour standards for general purposes
4267 Pressure regulators for use with industrial compressed gas cylinders
4289 Oxygen and acetylene gas reticulation systems
4484 Industrial, medical and refrigerant compressed gas cylinder identification
CGA
E-1 Standard connections for regulator outlets, torches and fitted hose for welding
and cutting equipment
G-4.1 Cleaning equipment for oxygen service

3 DEFINITIONS
For the purpose of this Standard, the definitions given in AS 4267 and those below apply.
3.1 Compressed gas pipeline regulator
A regulator intended for connection only to regulated pressure pipelines, fitted with inlet
connections as specified in this Standard and used for reducing a nearly constant relatively
low inlet pressure to an outlet pressure (to be as constant as possible) in connection with the
flow rate which may be changed.
3.2 Maximum working pressure (MWP)
The maximum pressure at which a regulator is allowed to operate continuously and for
which it has been designed. See AS 4289 for oxygen and acetylene pipeline pressures.
3.3 Pressure regulator
A device used for reducing the pressure of a gas from a variable inlet pressure to an outlet
pressure that relates to the rate of flow of that gas.
3.4 Rated inlet pressure (p 1 )
The maximum pipeline pressure specified for the intended gas.
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AS 4840-2001, Low pressure regulators for use in

industrial compressed gas reticulation systems
This is a free 5 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

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